What's one theory tip/trick you wish you knew when you started out?

[Aahzz]

“It's not the note you play that's the wrong note – it's the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong.” - Miles Davis

Along those lines, this is one of my favorite quotes. I've heard it attributed to Zappa, but can't find confirmation: "There is no wrong note, there's only the look on your face".

 

[Aahzz]

Also, along those lines, my own take is that when things do start to go a bit sideways, glare at the drummer so the audience thinks it's his/her fault

 

[Serious Poo]

9ths > 3rds for everything but jazz & blues.

 

[LunarRock]

starting out?
Pause thoughts of theory, go to the guitartab app and learn your favourite songs

Theory can be a turn off, tabs are a great enabler. I wish I had the time back I spent gingerly baby stepping music notation, waste of time

 

[alantig]

I wish my first guitar instructor was honest and advised me to stick with football and give up the guitar. Because he didn’t, I’ve spent thousands of dollars and endured thousands of hours of frustration over 50 years to learn what he surely knew and should have told me. I have no aptitude for the instrument.

True, but your knees probably still work, and you probably don't feel like you got hit by a truck most days.

I'm not going to say anything about not being brain-damaged because...well, look around.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

9ths > 3rds for everything but jazz & blues.

starting out? I wish I knew that now!

 

[Moondog Wily]

9ths > 3rds for everything but jazz & blues.

My apologies, but would you mind expanding? Are you talking about chords with 9ths and 3rds? Scale progression from 9ths (2nd note of 2nd octave of a scale) to 3rds (third note in first octave of scale)? 9ths are greater (better) than than 3rds? I seriously do not understand and am curious what you are referring to. Thanks for any details you can provide on this ;~))

 

[Serious Poo]

My apologies, but would you mind expanding? Are you talking about chords with 9ths and 3rds? Scale progression from 9ths (2nd note of 2nd octave of a scale) to 3rds (third note in first octave of scale)? 9ths are greater (better) than than 3rds? I seriously do not understand and am curious what you are referring to. Thanks for any details you can provide on this ;~))

No worries, IMHO playing 9th chords (R 5 9, or E B F# in the key of Em) is way more useful in rock and metal than playing 3rd chords (R 3 5, or E G B in the key of E minor). They sound much nicer to my ears.

 

[Moondog Wily]

No worries, IMHO playing 9th chords (R 5 9, or E B F# in the key of Em) is way more useful in rock and metal than playing 3rd chords (R 3 5, or E G B in the key of E minor). They sound much nicer to my ears.

Gotcha! Thanks for clarifying!!

 

[NoisyDante]

Picking technique, and listening to proper musicians and not the garbage I was into as a teenager.

 

[jak3af3r]

Picking technique, and listening to proper musicians and not the garbage I was into as a teenager.

This is also huge. There's a difference between popularity and mastery.

 

[Boogie]

...glare at the drummer so the audience thinks it's his/her fault

It IS their fault.

 

[Roving_Drummer]

It IS their fault.

Luckily 99.9% of the crowd can't tell if a mistake was made no matter how horrific. The other. O1% which are musicians in the crowd can see right thru this scam.

 

[alantig]

Picking technique, and listening to proper musicians and not the garbage I was into as a teenager.

Nah - that 'garbage' was part of the journey that got you to where you are today.

 

[Boogie]

Luckily 99.9% of the crowd can't tell if a mistake was made no matter how horrific. The other. O1% which are musicians in the crowd can see right thru this scam.

If you repeat the offending note/riff more than once, it was on purpose and not a mistake.

 

[WEDGE]

Nah - that 'garbage' was part of the journey that got you to where you are today.

I get more enjoyment usually listening to players that are less skilled but write good songs, than guys that have massive technique and mastery of theory but bore me to death. Guys like Vai are able to be the latter and still be entertaining.

 

[Moondog Wily]

I get more enjoyment usually listening to players that are less skilled but write good songs, than guys that have massive technique and mastery of theory but bore me to death. Guys like Vai are able to be the latter and still be entertaining.

I feel the same way. I have a friend of 30+ years that I mentioned this to decades ago. I thought, and told him, that technically he was the best drummer in town, but he had no originality/pizazz/flare in his drumming. He has since written 3 books on drumming techniques with a major publishing house, and I still feel the same way about his drumming. Being able to play scales fast and accurately is great, but that is a building block, not the be all/end all of playing!

 

[bodia]

I get more enjoyment usually listening to players that are less skilled but write good songs, than guys that have massive technique and mastery of theory but bore me to death. Guys like Vai are able to be the latter and still be entertaining.

I get this. 35 years ago I was a big Yngwie fan. I listened to one of his new songs today......meh

 

[Keith B.]

starting out? I wish I knew that now!

I would like to know what this means. Anyone care to explain?

 

[Keith B.]

I would like to know what this means. Anyone care to explain?

Nevermind...